


Petrichor

by Souyoosk



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Spoilers for Season 3, Unrequited Love, character death mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22612768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Souyoosk/pseuds/Souyoosk
Summary: Just a kind of small ficlet/drabble based on some of my feelings about how Marinette deals with the heavy weight that is being Ladybug and how Adrien as Chat Noir gives her a little hope and someone to talk to after Master Fu has left and his memories are gone.
Kudos: 11





	Petrichor

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this isn't great. It's been a long time since I've posted fanfic and actually finished something. I know in some parts it's not the greatest but I'd thought I'd share since it was all written out anyway. Hope you guys do enjoy it!

A week had passed since the miraculous box had been entrusted to Marinette and another close fight with Hawkmoth had happened. It all seemed like a blur. Master Fu’s memories were gone and so was he, with his old sweetheart and far away from Paris. There was a bittersweet pang in Marinette’s chest as she thought about the happiness they would share together. She was happy for him, so incredibly happy that he would finally be free of his responsibility of being a guardian and now pursuing his true love. It wasn’t that she resented him, it wasn’t that at all. There was just the tiniest bit of her that was jealous of their love for each other. Watching them leave together only served to remind her of the love she was trying so hard to get over.

Marinette closed her eyes, the scene of her friends Adrien and Kagami sharing Andre’s sweetheart ice cream together flashing in her mind before she sighed and shook her head to get it out. She needed to be stronger and couldn’t let herself fall into despair over the dull heartache settling into her chest. Paris would be doomed if the secret heroine let herself give into those negative emotions.

“Marinette? Are you okay? That was a pretty heavy sigh.” Tikki flitted around Marinette in concern.

A sad smile pulled at the corner of her lips before trying a little harder and managing something a little more convincing. “I’ll be okay, Tikki. It’s just been a very long week and for once, I’m not quite ready to face school tomorrow. Watching someone you love with someone else hurts… but as both of their friends, I’m also happy for them. I just wish that it didn’t also hurt. But maybe this just means that it’s not meant to be and now that I’m the guardian, it becomes ever harder. My responsibility to the miraculous’ and to being Ladybug is more important to me than anything else.”

“But that doesn’t mean you have to give up falling in love. Maybe right now Adrien isn’t the one you can be with but there’s also Luka. He’s been a really good friend and even made that pretty song for you.” Tikki flew around, bringing up the positives to hopefully bring her friend’s mood up.

“It would mean lying to whoever I date and who knows how long it will take to get over Adrien, if I even can get over him.” Marinette pushed her face into her pillow with a sigh, rolling over onto her back. She pulled the pillow down to her chest, eyes sliding away from Tikki as she changed the topic. “I’m also worried about being the new guardian… I miss Master Fu already and I’m sure you guys do too. And… I made a lot of mistakes in that last battle. What if it happens again? I need his guidance more than ever before.”

“It’s true that all of us miss Master Fu, but he chose you for a reason, Marinette. You wore almost all the miraculous at once and handled it well. Plus, the answers you seek are within you. You’re the best Ladybug and with Chat Noir at your side, we’ll get Hawkmoth eventually.” Tikki was passionate, doing her best to fight Marinette’s doubts.

Marinette smiled a little more, genuine hope starting to ease away the pain. “You’re right. Thanks, Tikki. It means so much to have you with me.”

“Of course, Marinette. I’m happy to have you as my master and my friend.” She smiled brightly and cuddled up to Marinette’s cheek with a small giggle.

“Let’s get some rest for school tomorrow. Better remember to bring my umbrella tomorrow, it looks like this rain just won’t stop.” Marinette glanced at the window up to her balcony on the top of her room where the rain tapped away on the glass, blurring the gray skies above.

The next day at school, Marinette focused intently on her classes and pushed all her thoughts and heartache away so she could enjoy her breaks and lunch with her friends. But by the end of the day, she felt worn down from the day or the week.

“Hey girl, all of us are going to the movies in a bit, you should come with us. Even Adrien and Kagami are going to try to sneak away and join us this time.” Alya threw her arm around her best friend’s shoulders, a little oblivious to Marinette’s lack of energy.

The shorter girl gave a weak smile, her stomach twisting at the mention of their friend’s names. “I would love to, but I’m actually really tired and I don’t feel well so I’m going to head home and get some rest. I think it’s just the rain, but I just want to be safe.”

“Hey, I get it girl. Take care of yourself so you don’t get sick. Do you want me and Nino to walk you home?” Alya’s eyebrows drew up in concern, watching Marinette carefully. Normally she would’ve called Marinette out for avoiding the issue with Adrien and Kagami, but she genuinely looked worn out.

“There’s no need, Alya. But thank you. You guys enjoy your movie.” Marinette mustered another weak smile before heading away from Alya and the rest of their friends. She just needed some rest or maybe just take a walk in the rain in the hushed city. The more Marinette thought about it, the more it appealed to her confused and lonely heart.

Marinette’s parents made sure that their daughter was truly okay before letting her be in her room for the night. Tikki popped out, frowning a little at Marinette as the girl set her stuff down by her bed. “Why didn’t you go to the movies with your friends? I’m sure it would be better than sitting in here doing homework while it rains.”

“Today just felt like a good day for a patrol as Ladybug. I think I need something to ground me, to remind me why I continue fighting for Paris and a little time alone to settle my thoughts, get them organized. I still feel hurt and confused about a lot. I think I just need a change of perspective for the time being.” Marinette sighed, rubbing her arm a little.

Tikki frowned more, glancing up at the rain-soaked window. “But you shouldn’t be out in the rain and you really shouldn’t use your powers for personal use, Marinette…”

“I’ll be okay, Tikki. Besides, Chat uses his all the time to take trips through the city. No harm will be done, like I said, I just want to clear my head a little, try to feel better on my own. I won’t be out too late.” Marinette cupped her hands, inviting Tikki to sit there for a moment. Just thinking about exploring the subdued city in the rain was already making Marinette feel a bit better.

“Okay but please be careful.” Tikki relented, trusting Marinette’s decision to take some time to herself.

Across town, a group of teenagers were about to enter the movie theater together to watch the latest popular movie while the rain came down in the city around them. Adrien and Kagami had just appeared, ditching another fencing class to join their friends at the theater. Adrien smiled as he caught up with everyone else, smiling and happy to finally have a life outside of his home, but something seemed off, someone was missing.

But Kagami was the first to voice her concern. “Where is Marinette?”

“Sorry but she wasn’t feeling too well earlier. I think she’s just stressed and tired. She’s been working really hard lately and with all the stuff with Hawkmoth just makes everything worse.” Alya responded with a sigh, glancing at her phone. “I’m sure she just needs some rest and she’ll be back to the normal Marinette we all know and love.”

“If you’re sure…” Kagami looked disappointed and Adrien felt the same as she did. Marinette was sweet and fun to be around. Hanging out with everyone without her just wouldn’t be the same.

“I’m her best friend and I know she’ll be okay. She’s strong but everyone deserves to have a moment of weakness and some rest.” Alya left no room for argument as she tucked her phone away, turning it off. “But let’s go watch the movie before it starts.”

Adrien paused before heading in, seeing a flash of red and black to his left. He glanced up and his eyes widened as he saw Ladybug fly over the theater with the aid of her yo-yo. It didn’t seem like there was any imminent danger, no akumatized civilian terrorizing Paris and it wasn’t like her to just run around as Ladybug. Adrien knew something must be off and as he followed his friends into the theater, he was coming up with an excuse to leave.

As much as he wanted to distract himself from Ladybug and his unrequited love for her, she still occupied his thoughts and feelings. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to check on his Lady with everything that had happened. While the loss of the guardian had left a small void, he knew that Ladybug’s relationship with Master Fu had been closer.

So Adrien waited for a few minutes into the movie before he apologized to Kagami and Nino, saying that he wasn’t feeling very well either and made his way out of the theater to find an alley to transform, but before he could use those familiar words, Plagg came flying out of his hiding. “Hey, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you be having fun with your friends? There’s no danger, no need to be Chat Noir.”

“I saw Ladybug earlier and I… I wanted to check on her. She never just goes around in her suit for no reason. I’m worried about her.”

“I thought you were going to give Kagami a chance, give yourself a chance to get over Ladybug? You’re leaving your friends and a chance to do something fun to get turned down by her again.” Plagg argued, though he tried to be compassionate as he was blunt with Adrien.

“And leave my other friend alone in the rain when she might need me? If she turns me away, I’ll go back to the movie with my friends, but I have to at least go see if she’s okay. She’s just as much my friend as the others are.”

Marinette spent some time exploring the city while it was quiet with the rain. The sound of the water drenching everything drowned out the usual sound of traffic and the city animals were seeking shelter.

Normally Marinette also wouldn’t be out in the rain by herself but something about the gray skies and glistening wet of everything around her calmed the lonely ache in her. She was content watching the few people that braved the rainy day to hurry home or do some shopping. It was nice to watch the town from up high, watch them be peaceful. Now she could understand why Chat spent so much time doing this when he could.

“Why my Lady, what brings you out on such a cold and dreary evening?” Speaking of the devil, his teasing voice joined Ladybug up on the building she had settled on for the time being. His voice rang out again, softer this time. “You’ll catch a cold out here if you stay out in the rain.”

“I just needed some time alone. There’s just a lot on my mind. A lot has happened and trying to work through it all… it’s too much sometimes.” She wasn’t sure why she was admitting this all to Chat. He was her friend, sure but it felt wrong to unload it onto him. Especially if she were to tell him everything.

“You know you can tell me anything, call on me anytime right? If you need to talk, I’m always here for you.” He began with a confident, comforting smile, but continued in a softer tone. “But if you truly wish to be alone, then I-”

“No! I-I mean, you can stay… Maybe… Maybe I do need to talk about things. There’s a lot, there’s also a lot I can’t tell you because it would reveal too much.” Marinette felt her voice crack a little, against her wishes and completely out of the blue. “I regret my mistakes that day. I miss having one person in this whole city who knew both sides of me, Ladybug and M-myself.”

Adrien listened, a little surprised that Ladybug was being so open with him. He resisted making a small joke, knowing that this situation was a more serious one. She looked upset and his heart hurt, wanting to help her feel better. “I understand. I didn’t meet with him as often as you, but it was nice to have that one person. Other than our Kawami’s of course. I am sorry for your loss, Ladybug.”

Chat’s kind words were helping ease the lump that had risen into her throat and as soon as she was confident that he voice wouldn’t crack again, the dark-haired girl took a breath and started speaking again. “I really shouldn’t talk about this with you, as it’s not really fair. But the guy I like? It seems like he’s interested in someone else. I… now know how you feel and I’m sorry, I am really sorry Chat. I never felt good about it, but I get how much it hurts…”

Adrien was at a loss for a moment, hope soaring in his heart. But it was short lived as he saw her face. He couldn’t count how many times he’d worn that very same expression, felt what she was feeling at that very moment. He slowly went to join her, sitting as close as she’d let him. “I… don’t have a way to make you better. I can’t tell you it’ll get easier anytime soon, but sometimes… finding someone else to distract you from it can help. It makes the loneliness easier to bear…”

“Chat…” Marinette knew that someone that popped into her mind. The song he had played for her filled her head for a moment and eased her pain just a tiny bit, enough to give her the small spark of hope that maybe she didn’t have to be alone. But a flash of white and those unnerving blue eyes had her quickly shaking her head. “I… hope that you can find that one day but it’s… it’s probably better that I just get it out of my head. I’ll take the time to get over it, but being in a relationship, it’s about trust. I can’t just be with someone and run off with some lie every time the city is in trouble. Maybe one day we’ll catch Hawkmoth and I can relax and think about it… but I witnessed a future where I hurt someone deeply, probably because our secret identities were revealed. I don’t know all the details but it’s a long story and Bunnyx had me go change the course of the future.”

His green eyes widened, taking in all that she had said. She looked so lost, so disappointed, yet he could see the determination in her eyes. Nothing he could say would change her mind. But something about the last part tugged at him, thinking back to the sunset they watched together where his Lady was a little affectionate than normal. “Call it a cat’s curiosity, but what happened in that altered future? What happened?”

Marinette regretted mentioning it as soon as he asked. There was no denying, no deflecting it at this point. And what would it hurt since she didn’t know all the details? As long as Bunnyx didn’t come back to stop her doing it, then it would be okay to share what she went through. Still though, she hesitated. “I… it was you who got hurt, well not just you exactly. Y-you were akumatized by Hawkmoth and something happened that destroyed Paris. I was gone, the whole city was turned to stone and sunk into water. Even the moon looked like it was cut in half. You knew my identity, you said my name, but...” She paused, taking a breath and avoided glancing at her partner. She didn’t know what she’d see but Marinette knew that she wouldn’t like it. “You were so broken, so hurt, so _alone_. I never want to see you like that again, Chat. I couldn’t stand it.”

Adrien sat in stunned silence, unaware of the change around them as the rain came down heavier. It was hard to process what his Lady had just said, but he couldn’t deny that she had witnessed how horrible it was. It was almost imperceptible, but she had looked more upset than before, pulling her knees closer to her chest, _hugging_ them close to ease her emotions. It was an extremely rare occurrence to see Ladybug without her confident charm and while seeing another side of her and listening to her talk made Adrien happy, he didn’t want to see his Lady this upset again.

Once she was finished, he shifted a little closer and tipped her chin up and toward him with a small smile. “Hey, you fixed it right? It won’t happen again because you know how to prevent it. I will be by your side as long as you need me, my Lady. I have no intention of letting Hawkmoth get to us so easily. I don’t know if I can let go of my affection for you so easily, however, I will do better to respect that you don’t want to share our identities with each other. If it keeps us together, even just like this, I will take that over losing you.”

Marinette felt something flutter in her chest, happiness and the trust she’d placed in Chat Noir was showing through quite strongly. _And no Bunnyx showing up to tell me I’d made another mistake._ She allowed a small smile in return, sighing in relief. She hadn’t told anyone about that trip to the future, that alternate timeline. “Chat, I can’t thank you enough for being such a good friend.”

“It’s nothing. You’d do the same, my Lady. Just don’t lose hope. Maybe the guy you like will come to his senses one day. Or maybe someone else will come along and prove that he’s better than that other guy. You never know, but do trust that I will always be by your side, my Lady.” Adrien stood up to stretch, offering his hand out to Ladybug once he was done. By now the rain was starting to let up again, settling to be just a heavy drizzle to continue drenching the streets of Paris. “Come now though, you should go get some rest and get out of the rain before the other you catches a cold. It won’t do for Ladybug to be protecting Paris while she’s sick.”

Marinette accepted the hand gratefully, stretching herself a bit before preparing to head home. “Thank you again, Chat, my Prince.”

Adrien felt himself stunned again as he watched Ladybug head off into the fog and light rain. His heart was beating in his chest hard, a blush settling on his cheeks. As much as he wanted to let go of his love for her, he knew that the battle would be a hard one if he could even manage it at all. But what she told him stuck with him and set fire to his goal of defeating Hawkmoth one day. Once he was out of the way, there was the possibility that maybe, just maybe they could work something out.

 _But what about Kagami?_ Adrien heard Plagg’s voice in the back of his mind as he got around to doing a small patrol around the city. His own heart was confused about what it wanted to do, if he was willing to wait for a small chance with his Lady or try to bury that with someone else. Even Marinette’s face popped in his head for a moment, making his heart race a little. All of the girls he had the choice to be with all had their strengths and weakness’. But Ladybug was and would always be his number one girl.

Without really thinking about it, Adrien had made his way to Marinette’s family’s bakery, with her standing up on the roof with an umbrella. He remembered that Alya had mentioned that she hadn’t been feeling well and as he thought about it, she had been looking really tired lately. It seemed that something had been putting the sweet girl through some sort of stress. _Maybe since I helped Ladybug, it wouldn’t hurt to check in on another friend. Maybe she needs to talk about some things too._

“Hey, shouldn’t you be inside where it’s warm and dry? Or watching a move with friends on a cold and rainy day like this?” He inquired gently as he landed on her balcony railing.

“Oh, Chat Noir, hello.” Marinette looked surprised, looking away with a soft sigh. “I did get invited out, but there’s just been a lot going on so I just needed a break.”

“Anything you want to talk about? I may not be one of your close friends, but sometimes talking to someone outside of your circle can help a lot more than you think.”

Marinette smiled up at him before shaking her head. “I’ve actually got a lot of it figured out. Some things will just take time and others will just take a lot of work to get over. Liking people and dating is just complicated.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” His voice rang out less bitter than it normally would have, but the heartache and hope was still there, making him a very confused cat.

“I’m sure that something will work out for you and whoever gets to be with you will be a very lucky girl.” Adrien could tell that she meant what she said and again, he was reminded of how sweet and kind Marinette was.

He started walking around the railing, keeping his balance easily. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe I don’t get the girl that I want, but maybe right now I need someone else in my life.”

“Maybe you’re on to something…” Marinette hummed softly, glancing down at a certain blue haired teen doing deliveries in the neighborhood. “But we’ll just have to see how things go. We can’t really tell what happens in the future anyway. So maybe holding onto hope isn’t a bad thing either. Who can really say in the end until you get there?”

“Well aren’t you wise for your age?” He teased, letting the hopeful words sink in, even though they were the very ones he had told Ladybug earlier. “Well, I must be off before my other half is missed and this cat gets too wet. But, keep your head up, Marinette. You’re a wonderful girl and you deserve the best.”

“Thank you, Chat. So do you.” She smiled softly and waved as he made his way back to his home, feeling a little less lonely and a little more hopeful for the future.


End file.
